The Comic Market organizers announced on their official X account for international participants that Ticketpay will close all access from outside Japan for an undetermined period, as a security measure in response to cyberattacks. The restriction covers the entire Comic Market 109 ticket lottery period. They also wrote that they were just as surprised and concerned as attendees about the sudden, sweeping step.
Ticketpay itself posted an official Ticketpay announcement on 10 November 2026. There, the service cited numerous reports of cyberattacks and data leaks both in Japan and overseas, then tightened security measures, including restricting access from outside Japan.
Comic Market 109 Early Entry lottery affected
Comic Market 109 will be held at Tokyo Big Sight on 29–31 December 2026. Every attendee must have an admission ticket or wristband. Early Entry tickets and Cosplay Early Entry tickets (for early access to the changing rooms) are both sold only through a Ticketpay lottery. The application window runs 16–30 November 2026, starting at 13:00 JST on 16 November.
The official ticket page lists 4 December 2026 as the date lottery results will be announced. Because access from outside Japan is closed throughout that lottery period, attendees outside Japan cannot apply for either ticket while this restriction is in place, including Cosplay Early Entry.
Cosplay Early Entry is the only cosplay-specific ticket listed on the official ticket page for international participants. That does not mean attendees from outside Japan cannot cosplay at all. The same page, and the official information page for international participants, state that all attendees can use the cosplay changing rooms after entering the venue, with a 500-yen registration fee. That registration is done on site and is separate from a ticket or wristband. So attendees who enter with an AM wristband, an eplus e-ticket, or a PM wristband can still register for cosplay after entering; the only thing they cannot apply for during the Ticketpay restriction is changing-room access before the event opens.
Organizers look for other options; eplus remains available
The organizers wrote that they are looking for other solutions. Unfortunately, time is tight, and a workaround that can be used before the event starts looks difficult. They will share updates if anything develops. At the very least, the eplus system for AM Entry wristbands is expected to keep running as usual.
At official ticket page for international participants, sales of AM and PM Entry wristbands and e-tickets begin on 5 December 2026. From that date, attendees from outside Japan can buy an e-ticket through eplus with a credit card. That e-ticket is then exchanged on site for an AM Entry wristband. Stock is limited and sold first come, first served. This eplus e-ticket is not an Early Entry or Cosplay Early Entry ticket, and it does not replace the Ticketpay lottery.
The organizers ask that complaints about this access policy be directed to Payment for, Inc., the operator of Ticketpay, via the Ticketpay inquiry form and Ticketpay help page.
About Comic Market
Comic Market, also known as Comiket, is a doujinshi buying-and-selling event held at Tokyo Big Sight. The organizers say Comic Market 109 is being held over more than two days again after seven years, with strong circle participation and limited space because part of the venue is under renovation. The first event was held on 21 December 1975 in the Toranomon area of Tokyo, with 32 circles and an estimated 700 attendees, as recorded in the official Comic Market chronology.
For Comic Market 109, East Halls 4 through 6 will not be used because of renovations at Tokyo Big Sight. Further official information is available on the official Comic Market website and official X account for international participants.
If you are planning to come from outside Japan, keep an eye on the organizers’ announcements on that account and on the official ticket page.
